Electric cigarette lighter



Jan. 9, 1951 F. .1. SCHROEDER 2,537,710

ELECTRIC CIGARETTE LIGHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed OCb. 20, 1948 Rmx? u .www

Jan. 9, 1951 F. J. scHRoEDr-:R

ELECTRIC CIGARETTE LIGHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 20, 1948 NVENTOR. J ,Sah'oede' Frank:

OOOOGOOOO OOOO OOOOO OOOOO ooo o Patented Jan. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

Cigars and cigarettes are extensively used by smokers. The object of this invention is to provide a receptacle in which cigars and cigarettes may be efficiently kept, which receptacle is in the form of a humidor-that is, it holds the moisture in the cigars and cigarettes placed therein and prevents them from drying'out.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hot spot for the purpose of lighting a cigar or cigarette, which hot spot is ordinarily cold but which hot spot is part of an electric circuit, the hot spot being heated by closing the circuit with a very light pressure and a very small movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a draft of air through the hot spot that will help to light the tobacco ofthe cigar or cigarette.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ash tray in which the ashes and butts that are produced by the smoking of the cigar or cigarette may be collected and from which they can be easily removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide in the assembly holders for pens and pencils.

These, and other objects of the invention, will be illustrated in the drawings, described in the specication, and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the drawings Fig. l is a top plan view of the as sembly of the container for the cigars and cigarettes and the humidor, the lighter, the ash tray, and the pen and pencil holder.

Fig. 2 represents a section on the line 2.22m of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a section on the line 33:33u oi Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 represents a section on the line 4334.1: of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the lighting mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the perforated plate which supports the absorbent material in the humidor. f

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1x13: of Fig. `1 showing the spring supported trap door that is placed above the ash receptacle.

In the drawings reference numeral I indicates the box or housing in which the various elements of the combination are assembled. This housing is divided into 2 compartments by the partition Ia. In the one compartment is a sliding drawer, 2, adapted to hold the cigars or cigarettes and in the other compartment is a sliding drawer, 3, adapted to hold ashes. On these drawers are placed the handles 2a and 3a respectively. rhe

ends of the drawers are corrugated on the inside as shown in Fig. l at 4d and at the bottom` of the drawerin each recess in the corrugatiorrs is provided a hole |212 for ventilation. The drawer istliat Vwide on the inside so that the ends of a cigarette can cover one hole but can not close the corresponding hole on the opposite side of the drawer. On the drawers are tongues or slides 2b and 3b that engage in and slide in the grooves 2c and 3c formed in the housing. As shown at the left in Fig. 2 a humidor, 4, is provided in which several layers of material is provided that will absorb water, which material is kept suiiiciently moist so that a damp atmosphere will be maintained in the compartment 5, in which cigars and cigarettes will be kept. Under the layers of the absorbent material is provided ay perforated plate, 6, shown in Fig. 6. For the purpose of supporting this plate B, I provide hook-shaped hangers, I, 8 and 9, depending yfrom the underside of the cover. Plate 6 is provided with three notches,`120 degrees apart, through which the inturned ends of the hooks I, 8 and 9 can pass. By elevating the plate 6 and then givi ing this plate a slight angular turn after it is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the hooks securely engage the underside of the plate and support the plate 6 together with the absorbent layers thereon.

The cover IB is provided with an opening II through which water may be placed on the layers of absorbent material for the purpose of keeping them moist.

In the central part of the assembly is provided an opening I2, protected by a square ring IM, under which is placed a lever I3 of the rst class which lever I3 is pivotally mounted on an arbor or bearing I4 which arbor is supported from two lugs I5 and I5 depending from the cover.

Below the lever I3 is placed an arm I'I which is pivotally mounted at I8 on a lug I9 supported from the housing. Connecting the arm Il and the lever I3 a link Z is provided so that when the right hand end of lever I3 moves up the arm I1 moves up with it and when the right hand end of the lever I3 moves down the left hand. end ci the arm'Il/moves down with it. The arm I? is a lever of the second class. The link 2) is pivotally connected to the arm I'I near the pivot I8 on which the arm il swings, therefore the left hand end of the arm II will move seven or eight times as far as does the pivot 2I to which the link 2Q is connected. The parts are so proportioned that the left-hand4 end of the arm I'I as shown in Figure 3 will move about as@ of aninch more or less.

In the lever I3 is formed a downwardly extending casing I3d in which is formed a seat 23 on which rests a rectangular frame 22, On this frame 22 a resistance wire is wound that is heated for the purpose of lighting cigars or cigarettes. At the left hand of this seat as shown in Figure 5 is provided two spring contacts 24 and 25. These spring contacts snugly bear against the two ends of the resistance wire wound around the frame 22 so that under proper conditions current will now through the wire on the frame 22 and heat the wire. The opposite edges ofthe frame 22 are cut away to form teeth and grooves like the teeth on a rack with spaces between them in which spaces or grooves the resistance wire is wound.

When the left-hand end or the lever i3 goes down the left-hand end oi the lever il goes up and this movement of the two elements I3 and Il closes the circuit that heats the resistance wire on plate 22 in a manner that will now be described.

On the left-hand side of Figures 3 and 4 is shown a lug 26 which supports the cable 27 that carries the two wires 28 and 29a. One of these wires, 28, is connected to the contact 29 on the arm !'I and the other wire, 29a, is connected to the contact 36 on the lever I3 which in turn is connected to spring 25. The spring 24 is con- .nected by the wire 3| to the contact 32. When a cigarette is lpushed down on the grid or wire or on lthe rectangular frame 22 it moves it about 1/100 of an inch more or less and pushes the contact 32 down and through the movement of the lever I3 andthe lever I'I is raised at the left hand end, bringing the contact 29 up at the saine time and the two contacts 32 and 29 come together and yclose the circuit that causes the wire on thereo- `tangular frame to heat up. A very light touch of `the cigarette or cigar on the grid is sucient to close the circuit. As soon as the wire heats it .starts ya draft or current or" air up through the small opening 33 which helps to burn the tobacco and causes the cigarette or cigar to light that much more easily. If a cigarette is lit a second Vtime the ashes from it will pass down through the opening 33 into the drawer 3.

It will be understood that the frame I3 is evenly balanced on the `bearing I4 and the righthand end of it as shown in Figure 4 is made narrow and heavy so as to lcounterbalance the left-hand end as shown in Figure 5. Both the lever I3 and the lever I'I are preferably made of a light material such as bakelite `and the right- `hand end oi the lever I3 as shown in Figure 4 is made hollow, or with a pocket therein, in which a piece of lead l-3a can be placed to counterbalance the left-hand end of lever I3 as shown in Figure 3.

When the wire on the frame 22 burns out the Aframe 22 can be removed and a new frame substituted yfor it. It will also be understood that when the parts are once properly connected no adjustments need be made.

At the right-hand end of Figs. 1 and 2 is shown an lelongated receptacle into which the ashes of the cigar or cigarette may be dropped. The bottom of this receptacle is closed by a trap door 4I which is normally held in place by the torsion spring 42. Any considerable weight on the door 4I `cause it` to swing down and drop the contents of the receptacle 40 into the drawer 3. Any moderate weight or pressure is sufficient to cause the doorM to drop. Across thetop of the receptacle 4D are two bars 43 and Mi on which a cigarette of some length can be laid. No springs other than the torsion spring i2 and the contacts 24 and 25 are used. i

It will also be understood that the receptacle 40 is formed in one piece with an open bottom and can be removed bodily, independent of the door Il which is supported from the arbor 43.

In the bottom of the housing is placed the Ventilating holes through which air circulates through the chambers of the housing.

On the bottom of the housing is formed a base or foot, 46, which extends allaround the bottom 'of the housing;

Near the ends of the long sides of the housing are placed sockets, four in number, 4l, 48, 49 and 50, in which can be placed pencils or penholders.

The drawings show the assemblyfpreferable on an enlarged scale for the sake of clearness. For cigarettes the assembly will be made smaller, For cigars as assembly will be made larger.

I claim:

1. In a cigarette lighter, the combination of a housing, an opening in said housing through which the end of a cigarette can be manually inserted, a frame yieldingly mounted under said opening so that it can be pushed down by a cigarette inserted through said opening, resistance wire wound on said frame, a lever oi the rstclass pivotally mounted under said opening and under said frame by which said trarne is supported,a lever of the second class pivotally mountedunder the irst named lever, a link connecting the short end of the rst named lever to the second named lever so that on the downward movement of the free end of the iirst named lever the free end of the lever of the second class moves up into contact therewith,'electrical contacts carried on the free ends of said levers, said contacts being brought together on the movement of-either lever toward the other, oneend of the resistance Wire of the frame being connected in series ywith the two contacts on said levers, the resistance wire being heated on the movement of the levers `and the closing of the contacts by the manual insertion of the cigarette. l

2. 1n a cigarette lighter, the combination of housing, an opening in said housing through which the end of a cigarette can be manually inserted, an electric heating element, ,a lever of the first class pivotally mounted under said opening and under said element and by which said element is supported, a lever of the second class pivotally mounted under the rstnamedlever, a link connecting the short end of the first named lever to the second named lever so that on the downward movement of the free end of the rst named lever the free end of the lever of the second class moves up into contact therewith, electrical contacts carried on the free ends of said levers, said contacts being brought together on the movement of either `lever toward the other, said heating element being connected in series with the two contacts on said levers, the heating element being heated on the movement of thelevers and the closing of the contacts by the manual insertion of the cigarette.

FRANK J. SCHROEDER.

REFERENCES CTED The following 4references are of record in the 1 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,440,255 Ward Dec. 26, 1922 1,554,660 Ruskay Sept. 22, 1925 1,693,620 Silverman Dec. 4, 1928 1,775,949 Staiord Sept. 16, 1930 1,781,152 Abbott Nov. 1l, 1930 1,344,206 Copeland Feb. 9, 1932 1,865,199 Martel June 28, 1932 1,927,800 Mann Sept. 19, `1933 1,965.795 Diack July 10, 1934 1,983,645 Soreng Dec. '11, 1934 1,987,373 VShapiro Jan. 8, 1935 2,074,122 Harris Mar. 16, 1937 

